[TLDR] Choosing a Model, Shaping a Future: Comparing LLM Perspectives on Sustainability and its Relationship with AI

How different LLMs conceptualize sustainability and the implications for AI-driven decision-making

Published

May 20, 2025

Authors: A. Bush et al. Published on Arxiv: 2025-05-20 Link: http://arxiv.org/abs/2505.14435v1 Institutions: Technical University Dortmund, Germany • University Alliance Ruhr, Germany • University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany Keywords: Large Language Models, LLMs, Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence, AI, GPT, Claude, LLaMA, Mistral, DeepSeek, Sustainable Development Goals, SDG, Twin transition, Bias, Psychometric assessment, Technology governance

Organizations are increasingly relying on AI systems—especially Large Language Models (LLMs)—to inform their sustainability-related decisions. As these models reflect societal values and biases from their training data, their outputs can significantly influence sustainability strategies. Understanding how different LLMs conceptualize sustainability and AI’s role within it is thus crucial for organizations.

Linking this context to the methodological core of the study, the authors conducted a systematic evaluation employing validated assessment tools to probe LLM perspectives:

Building from this methodological approach, the results demonstrate clear, model-dependent divergences in viewpoints:

These findings lead to important conclusions and future suggestions: